Padlocks

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a padlock comprising a shackle adapted to engage with one or more members to be locked, a casing adapted to accommodate said shackle in a locking position and provided with a recess adapted to accommodate part of said member or members when the shackle is in said locking position the arrangement being such that in use with the shackle in the locking position at least part of the member-engaging portion and the member or members adapted to be engaged thereby is accommodated by said recess.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Daniel Victor Berry Bracknell; Stanley Gerald Thomas Knott, Wadhurst, England [21 Appl. No. 794,250 [22] Filed Jan. 27, 1969 [45] Patented Mar. 23, 1971 [73] Assignee lngersoll Locks Limited London, England 541 PADLOCKS 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 70/52, 292/281 [51] Int. Cl E05b 67/22, EOSc 19/08 [50] Field of Search 70/39, 52, 54, 55, 56,2, 6, 7, 8, 180, 212, 200, 203, 435, 437; 292/281, 205

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 637,688 1 H1899 Winston 70/52X 6/1921 Godshalk 70/52 4/1924 Caldwell 70/52X 2/1951 Clevett 70/39X 1 1/ 1924 Wakefield 292/205X 8/ 1969 Milolg 292/281 FORElGN PATENTS 7/1918 Germany 70/52' 7/1946 ltaly 70/55 Primary Examiner-James A. Leppink Assistant Examiner-Edward J. McCarthy Attorney-Edwin E. Greigg recess.

PATENTED MAR23I97| V I 3.5721064 sum 1' or 2 PATzmEnmzalsn 4 3,672,064

SHEET 2 [IF 2 INVEN T01? ATTORNEY PADLOCKS The present invention relates to padlocks and has particular reference to padlocks of the kind including a U-shaped shackle or hasp, the limbs of which enter boringsor recesses provided for their reception in a casing, the casing incorporating a locking mechanism for operatively locking the shackle in its closed position in which the limbs thereof cannot be withdrawn from the casing, and wherein the casing is so configured to hinder attack of the shackle or hasp when in the lockingposition.

The conventional type of padlock comprises a U-shaped shackle formed of a pair of spaced parallel straight limbs joined by curved intermediate portions said curved intermediate portion comprising a member-engaging portion adapted to engage with one or more members to be locked when the shackle is in the locking position, a casing having recesses therein to accommodate said limbs and locking means accommodated within the casing to secure one or both of the said limbs with respect to the casing. in the locked position the shackle is normally upstanding from the casing to form a U-shaped loop which is completed by an adjacent surface at the casing,- the intermediate portion and part of the striaight limbs of the shackle being exposed from the casing itse f.

Such padlocks suffer from the disadvantage that when in the locked position, the exposed portion" of the shackle not accornrriodated within the member or membersto be locked is accessible to various tools, such as saws, bolt-cropping devices, wedges and levers, and this accessibility of the shackle reduces the degree of security offered by such a padlock. 5

in order to improve the resistance of'such padlocks to attack it has been proposed to build up the casing of the padlock to provide shoulders accommodating all of the straight limbs of the shackle and the junction of the straight limb with the intermediate portion thereof, but in spite of this an arcuate portion of the shackle has been exposed from the casing of the padlock when in the locked position.

According to the present invention, there is provided a padlock comprising a shackle adapted to engage with one or more members to be locked, a casing adapted to accommodate said shackle in a locking position and provided with a recess adapted to accommodate part of said member or members when "the shackle is in the locking position, the arrangement being such that in use with the shackle in the locking position at least part of the member-engaging portion and-the member or members adapted to be engaged thereby is accommodated by said recess.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the shackle-is a U-shaped shackle having a, pair of spaced limbs joined by curved member-engaging portion. The casing of the padlock "r'nay be adapted to accommodate the limbs and member-engagir'igportion of the shackle and is provided with a transverse recess to accommodate part of the member or members to be locked. In one embodiment of the present invention the recess extends as a channel-shaped groove across the casing of the padlock substantially perpendicular to the plane "coh'taining the shackle when in the locked position. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention thebody of the padlock is iprovided on one; side thereof with an extended portion of the-side .of the padlock which serves as a wall to close the transverse recess on one side of the thereof, the recess being open on the other side of the casing of the padlock. The padlock is further recessed so as to accommodate the shackle substantially completely within the body of the padlock.-

Such a padlock is adapted for use in combination with a pair of locking bars each comprising a flat plate tapering towards one end and provided at said one end with an eye. The said one end of the plate is provided adjacent said eye with a rounded portion which is adapted to pass into the open end of the recess in the padlock, the rounded extremity being adapted to ab't'rt the inner surface of the wall closing the recess on the other side of the body of the padlock, the arrangement being such that the shackle is adapted to pass through the eye of each of said bars in order to maintain said bars in a locked relation. Each of the bars is provided with an abutment outstanding from the rounded end of each bar, which abutment is adapted on moving the padlock upwardly to abut the upper surface of the padlock to prevent movement of the padlock to reveal the open part of the recess therein and to hinder attack on the shackle with cropping tools, saws and the like.

The parts of the casing accommodating the shackle in the closed position. and the shackle itself, may be cyanide hardened and/or otherwise processed to increase the degree of resistance tosawing compared with the resistance of the remainder of the casing.

Following is a description with reference to the accompanying drawings of one embodiment of a padlock in accordance with the present invention.

In the drawings; I

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a padlock, and locking bar assembly. I

FIG. 2 is a side view of the assembly shown in FIG. 1.

v The padlock has a casing 10 comprising a body portion 19 and a built-up or exterided body portion 18. The body 19 is formed of a plurality of thin steel laminations 11, each lamination 11 consisting of a substantially oval or elliptical steel plate, which laminations 11 are joined together by means of a copper-brazing process to form an oval casing having a flat base 12, flap top 13 and oval outer surfaces 14. The padlock casing 10 is provided inthe base thereof with a central blind bore (not shown) extending axially of the casing and is adapted to accommodate a locking means. The body 19 of the casing is provided from the upper end with a pair of spaced cylindrical bores 15 extending from the top 13 and terminating at or near the base 12 of the casing 10.

The central bore is provided on each side thereof towards its upper end with a passage communicating with each of the adjacent cylindrical bores 15, said passage accommodating a pair of locking elements typically rollers which on movement of the locking means to the locking position are caused to project into each of said cylindrical bore l5 and with the locking means in the inoperative position, the locking elements are withdrawn from said cylindrical bores 15.

The top end of the padlock body includes an offstanding portion that overhangs the main body portion and is built up at 16 further of a plurality of laminates 17 of the same general type as those used in the body of the padlock. The laminates having a dimension on one side of the casing 10 to project from said surface on said one side of the padlock to form an extended body portion 18. The other side of said additional laminates 17 corresponding with the surface of said other side of the padlock body 19 to form a substantially continuous surface of the padlock body 19 with the extended portion 18. The additional laminates 17 are each provided with a longitudinal slot 20 extending from oneend of the laminate to the other so that the longitudinal slotsdefine a longitudinal recess in the top of the extended portion 18 of the padlock body 19 and joining the two cylindrical bores 15 described above.

The extended portion 18 of the padlock body 19 is also provided with a transverse recess 21 extending across the extended portion 18 said recess 21 being of substantially rectangular vertical section and having its vertical axis coincident with the axis of the padlock body 19. The recess 21 is open at said other side of the padlock and extends into the built-up or extended portion 18 of the body 19 of the padlock, communicates with the longitudinal slot 20 joining the cylindrical bores 15, extends thereacross and into the extended body portion on said one side of-the padlock casing 10 and the recess 21 being closed on said one side by a wall 22 defined by the surface of the built-up portion 18. The top end 23 of the built up padlock body is open to reveal the slot 20 joining said cylindrical bores 15 and the transverse recess 21 referred to above.

The built-up portion of the casing is preferably cyanide hardened to provide increased resistance to attack on the built-up portion of the body.

The spaced cylindrical bores extending from the upper part of the body are adapted to accommodate the spaced limbs of a U-shaped shackle 26. The shackle comprises a pair of spaced parallel limbs 25 joined at their upper ends by means of a curved intermediate portion 27 which is adapted to act as a member-engaging portion to engage the member or members to be locked. Each limb 25 is provided below its junction of the curved intermediate portion 27 with an arcuate notch 28 disposed in a surface of each limb so that each notch 28 is on the side of its limb 25 towards the other limb 25 of the shackle 26, each of said notches 28 being adapted to accommodate said locking member when the shackle is disposed within the body of the padlock in the locking position.

In operation, the spaced limbs of the shackle are entered into the longitudinal slot 20 on the built-up portion of the padlock body and thence caused or allowed to enter the spaced cylindrical bores 15 in the body of the padlock until the lower end of each limb abuts the blind end of said bores 15. On moving the locking means or key 30 to the locking position the locking members are brought into engagement with the arcuate notches 28 in the spaced limbs 25 to retain the shackle 26 in the locked position. In this position. the uppermost part of the curve intermediate engaging portion 27 of the shackle 26 is disposed below the upper surface 23 of the built-up portion 18, of the padlock casing 10, the member engaging portion 27 of shackle 26 constituting a bridge between the two walls of the transverse recess 21 therein.

The padlock is adapted to be employed in conjunction with a pair of flattened locking bar members 31, 32 each of which is adapted to be secured to a door or other item to be secured and comprises an upwardly projecting tongue 33 formed of a steel plate having a forward edge or leaf 34 and a rear edge 35 and flat leaf side surfaces 36, said forward and rear edges converging in a direction away from the door or other item to which it is secured. A tongue projects substantially perpendicularly from the door or other item to be secured and is provided towards the rear edge with a cylindrical drilling or eye adapted to accommodate the curved portion 27 of the U- shaped shackle 26 of the padlock. The end of the tongue 33 outwardly of said eye 40 is substantially curved at 41 and is adapted to be entered into the transverse recess 21 in the built-up portion 18 of the padlock. The rear edge of the tongue 33, towards the outer end of the locking bar 32 or 33 is curved upwardly about the eye 40 to define the outer end of said bar, said curved portion terminating at a longitudinal plane in the locking bar just forward of the forward extremity of the eye, in an outstanding abutment 42 having a rearwardly disposed abutment surface 43. A similar bar 31 is secured to the other element, such as a second door or an adjacent door post, and in use the two bars 31 and 32 are located side-byside with the eyes 40 arranged for passage of the shackle 26 therethrough and with the abutment surfaces 43 forming a substantially continuous surface from one bar to the other. The shackle 26 is passed through the eyes 40 so that arcuate portion 27, that is to say, the memberengaging portion of the intermediate part of the shackle 26, bridging the pair of spaced shackle limbs 25 is accommodated within the eyes 40 of the adjacent bars 31 and 32. The limbs 25 are entered into the longitudinal slot 20 in the upper end of the padlock and thence into the cylindrical bores 15, the locking elements within the padlock body being in the withdrawn position. On continued movement of the padlock towards the locking bars 31, 32 each limb 25 of the shackle 27 enters its cylindrical bore 15 until it abuts the blind end thereof, and at the same time the curved rear edge 41 of the locking bars 31 and 32 enmeans are then brought to the ogerative position to engage with the recesses 28 in the limbs 5 m the U-shaped shack e 26 to lock the padlock and the lock means-operating device, that is to say the key 30, is withdrawn from the padlock. In the locked position, the locking bars 31 and 32 are thus accommodated within the open end of the transverse recess 21 and are accommodated substantially wholly within the recess. The shackle 25 is substantially completely shielded by the built-up portion of the padlock and by the locked bars themselves. An attempt to move the padlock arcuately about the eyes 40 in the bars 31,32 is prevented by means of the outstanding abutments 42 since arcuate movement of the padlock about the shackle 26 extending through the eyes 40 in the bars brings the extended portion 16 on the said one side of the casing 10 into abutting engagement with said abutments and prevents further rotation of the padlock, thus preventing cropping tools, and the like being used to attack the shackle of the padlock from the underside thereof.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the padlock body may be built up above the normal upper end of the padlock, the upper end being provided with a longitudinal slot adapted to substantially wholly enclose the shackle, said slot being open at the top end to permit insertion and removal of the shackle as required in the locking and unlocking of the padlock. A transverse recess extending from one side of the padlock body to the other is provided in the upper end to expose the arcuate member-engaging portion of the shackle. ln operation, the shackle is passed through an eye or eyes in locking bars of the kind described above and the limbs of the shackle are entered into the cylindrical bore and pushed inwardly until they reach the extremity of their travel into the body of the padlock. ln which case a portion of the bar or locking bars enters the transverse recess in the top of the padlock together with a part of the member-engaging portion of the shackle to protect the curved member-engaging portion against attack when in the locked position.

We claim:

1. In an improved lock construction, the combination comprising, a plurality of perforated flattened bar members having portions for attachment to surfaces to be secured against intrusion, leaf means extending from each of said bar members arranged to lie in juxtaposed parallel planes, aligned means defining openings in said last-named means, a shackle for cooperation with said aligned means defining openings in said leaf means, and a padlock having a main body portion and an upper wall, a recess in the wall extending downwardly toward the main body portion, said padlock arranged to be secured with said shackle to said leaf means, and said leaf means also being arranged to be partially received in the recess of said wall of said padlock.

2. An improved lock construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leaf means each include an abutment means adapted to overlie and be brought into abutting relation with the wall of said padlock body.

3. An improved lock construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shackle is recessed beneath the wall of said padlock body.

4. As an article of manufacture a padlock having a body portion, front, rear, top and bottom walls, a shackle, a recess in the top wall adapted to receive the shackle, an aperture in the rear wall of the padlock arranged to intersect the recess, and means to be secured by said padlock having perforated portions extending into the aperture in the rear wall and cooperating with said shackle. 

1. In an improved lock construction, the combination comprising, a plurality of perforated flattened bar members having portions for attachment to surfaces to be secured againSt intrusion, leaf means extending from each of said bar members arranged to lie in juxtaposed parallel planes, aligned means defining openings in said last-named means, a shackle for cooperation with said aligned means defining openings in said leaf means, and a padlock having a main body portion and an upper wall, a recess in the wall extending downwardly toward the main body portion, said padlock arranged to be secured with said shackle to said leaf means, and said leaf means also being arranged to be partially received in the recess of said wall of said padlock.
 2. An improved lock construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leaf means each include an abutment means adapted to overlie and be brought into abutting relation with the wall of said padlock body.
 3. An improved lock construction as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shackle is recessed beneath the wall of said padlock body.
 4. As an article of manufacture a padlock having a body portion, front, rear, top and bottom walls, a shackle, a recess in the top wall adapted to receive the shackle, an aperture in the rear wall of the padlock arranged to intersect the recess, and means to be secured by said padlock having perforated portions extending into the aperture in the rear wall and cooperating with said shackle. 